CAMDEN COUNTY, Fla. – People living in St. Mary’s will decide how early restaurants can serve alcohol on the November ballot.
Under the current law, restaurants can’t serve alcohol until 12:30 p.m.
St. Marys voters will soon vote on this question:
“Shall the governing authority of the City of St. Marys, Georgia be authorized to permit and regulate Sunday sales of distilled spirits, or alcoholic beverages for beverage purposes by the drink from 11:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.?”
Sunday mornings at Cedar Oak Café are non-stop.
People come for the hot breakfast and hospitality but in a couple of months, the manager here is hoping people can come for a little extra.
“Bloody Mary’s and mimosas are something we’d love to be able to offer with our breakfast brunch or omelets French toast, that kind of thing. Who doesn’t love mimosas, you know?” said Mackenzie Braughton, the manager of Cedar Oak Café.
Most people here say they travel to the next town over just to have mimosas with breakfast.
“Typically, I travel 45 minutes to be able to something with a little bit of champagne or alcohol. They do it everywhere else. You know most southern restaurants in a bigger city can a mimosa with brunch. Why can’t you add a little to a local café?” said Lacey, who lives in St. Marys.
“35 minutes down to Jacksonville in Riverside is a good place to get mimosas but the South Georgia community needs to have more serving staples,” said Jack, who lives in St. Marys.
No mimosas on the menu here but that could all change come November for restaurants like this one in St. Marys. If it passes on the ballot.
“I think if we were able to sell alcohol here in the mornings, we would probably boost business quite a bit,” said Braughton.